Wood-bending machine.



C. A. MENARD. Y wooo ENmr-m MACHINE. APPuc/momr @mai Patened Dm H, MM?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l BLEU MIG. 9| |917- C. A. BARNARD. WOOD BENDING MACHINE. 'APPLICATION man Aum, 1911.

Patented D60. 11, 1917.-

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

To all whom t may concern:

@Hannes n. `isanathan,Voi-r eannnnn, MASSACHUSETTS.

` Be it known that l, CHARLES A.. BARNARD, a` citizenof the United States, `residing at Gardner, in the county of Worcester and State oi` Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulWood-Bending Machindoi' which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to a wood bending machine,A and particularly to certain improvements, in the removable clamping devices in which the. stock remains during the drying process. v t

In the operation of bezieling relatively thick or heavy pieces. of wood, such forinsta-nce as are used in the manufacture ofi seat frames, steering wheel rimsand similar objects, it is. themodern practice to place steamed stock in a bending machine and to secure one or both ends ot the stock to bending heads mounted for both angular and longitudinal movement.. By such` movement the vStoch is; brought. into thedesired i'orm, commonly circular, in whichv positionI it is `secured before removal from the machine. y

It is the general object ofmy invention to improve the construction of the bending heads and of the clamping devices removably `mounted thereon, said devices being adapted toretain the bent stock in shape after it is removed fromzthe `machine :tor drying.. r

With. this general object. in view an important, feature ot my invention relates to novel elementsof construction in the` bend- Y iilgr heads andfmore; particularly to the provision therein of radially adjustable flanges which may be readily withdrawn or collapsedto. permit easy removal of the bent stoclrtheref-rom.

A.. further -feature ot my `invention relates to the construction ofthe clamping blocks, each having a flange portion corresponding to the adjustable iiange on the bending head but comprising a relativelysmall portion of a`l` complete circumference.` I have also made ,important improvements `in the `constructijon ot the` tlexible metal band or strap which cooperates with the clamping blocks to` hold the stock in` shape. during the drying operation. t y

My invention further relates to certain arrangements and. combinations of` parts lie-reinafterdescribed and more, particularly pointed out. in1 the appended claims.v Y.

` .woon-Banniere ivrnonnvn i( i p Specification of Letters Patent. -Pgmwnpdll MB@ 131% 'ya Application filed. August 9, 1917. Serial No. 185,28?.`

A preferred form of luy-invention shown in the drawings, 1n which Figure l is a plan vievv of abending Inachine embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation ofthe machine l shown in Fig. 1; Y y

Fig. 8 1s a sectional transverse, elevation taken along` the line 3 3 in Fig.2;

Fig. t is a partial longitudinal sectional' f elevation taken along the line 4 4 in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a partial plan view showing the bending heads intl-nal position;`

Fig. 64 is a vplan view of the clamping removed with the stock from the machine.; Fig.` 7 is a front elevation ot the parts shown in Fig. 6 V;` V

Fig. 8 is. a plan view of a right-hand blocks and l'exiblestrap as they appear when clamping bloclr, showing the end of the stock x.

andthe tiexible band inposition therein;

Fig. 91s a plan View of a lett-hand clamplng block, and

. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one end of the flexible. strap..

y Referring first to Figs; l, 2' and@` have l shown myimprovements: embodied in ai bending machine of a common type. comprising a` framel 20 and a driving gear 2:1 mounted upon vertical shaft 22 supported in beari l ings (not shown) said-frame, said gear beingA alternately rotated in opposite directions by any` suitable driving mechanism. rll`he gea-r 2.1 engagesi racksy 23.-.24 longitu- 25 and 26- also slidable in suitable longitudi- VdinallyI slidable inthejframe 20: and connected respectively stuzdsQB- and 24a' to plates' nal guideways in the. trame 2.0i Thelpart's are so disposed that alternate rotation 'of the gear. 21 will. move the plates` 25.--26 alternatelry toward and away from each other.

A bending head 30 is rotatable about a stud l3:1 (Fig- 4) Xed in the;V plate 25, said head supporting a segment gear 32' and a semi-circular plateB-S. The segment gear-32 extends. oversomething more than, a semicircumference and at one end the gearxis cut away at one side toproivide.` a series of teeth 32? (Fig. 3) of one-half. the: length of the teethin the main portion of the gear.

scribed.

of said. llanged inembeny Upon its outer or circumferentialportion said member is provided with a vertical flange 35 shown in the Vdrawings as covering approximately 120 degreesroroneithird of aromplete circle. A cam 36 ismounted upon a stud37 secured in the plate 33 vand comprises means for movingA theflanged Amember-34 to its outer or operativ position. "Theca'm 36`is manually adjustable by a handle 38.3 .,i 1 i VThe machine shown in the drawings is of Ethe" double-headV type and the' construction of the seconder left hand head 40 shown in Fig. lfis-lsubstantially identica-l with the construction]ofthe headr previously de- .The-left-hand. head 40 is rotatable on a stud 41 in the plate 26`and supports a Afgear'42 and flange 45, said member being movable outwardly lby ancam 46 mounted on .a stud 47 and'con'trolled by a handle 4S'. The isegment f gears 32 and 42 `vby a` rack 49 lixed in the frame 20.

are 'both engaged The plates 33 and'v 431have xed therein studs 50 "andi-51 upon which" are placed clamping 4 blocks 52-andk 53. VThe studs 50 gandfl areofdiilerentheights, as 'shown in .dottedlines in Fig.'2 and the blocks 52 and 53 are of right and left hand construc- `tion,as'best shown-.in Figs. Sand 9.l Each block-.comprises 'a' flanged portion 54 and an i outwardly extending hook-shaped portion v55 having a recess or pocket 56 therein adapted to receive one end of va flexible Ametal band 60 to be described. Each clamping blockl'is also provided'witli" an'v inwardly 4extending straight'rportion 5,7, said portions 57 .being olfset so that they are adjacent and 'over-lapping intheir final position as shown 2in *.Figs. 5 and 6; The vblocks areV so designed that they will'receive'a piece of stock *.:Slyingat an `angle to the plane ofthe frame 2i V2O as indicated in Fig. 2g Thisdisposition of the-*stockpermits one end of the stock to bejibent above the lotherso thatthe parts overlap vertically at the end of thebending operation, as shown in I Fig. 7.

'.Aclam'p58 isprovided' for each pair of --tioned between the .sides of blocks-52 and 53, said clamp `being placed 'over the projections 57 when the parts reach their final r-the blocks securely together after they are position and thus Vholding removed from the machine.

`. The straps 60 each comprise a single strip of sheet metal having the ends reversely .bent toIU-shape and havingblocks 61 posieachy U-shaped `be-ndrand. 'rigidly'secured Vto-thel outer or reversed portionof the loop. I have found '-.that it lis a` matterfof considerable imporvtancefto secure7th'e "blockrl to 'thest'rap 60 fupon one side only ofthe reverse bend. As

thus made, the strap moreireadily adjusts `.itselt to'diflerent positions andthe expense iat-:manufacture is-'als'o decreased. '...'.1The stock Srests-onfaniinclined bracket 'bracket 65, j backed Y5, such approach 65 (Fig. 3) secured to the frame 20 at the back of' the machine and a clamping jaw 66 is provided for securely holding the stock S in position. The jaw. 66 is slidable forwardly uponA the top of the bracket 65 and -its rear or outer end is connected by links 67 to studs`68 in said bracket. As the jaw moves .forward the links 67 raise the rear edge of the jaw, thus causingthe'jaw to bear upon the front edge portion only of the stock S, an arrangement which has been found extremely desirable in a bending machineV of this type. Hand wheels 65)` are provided for clamping the jaw 66 upon the stock.

Having described the details of construci? tion of my invention, I will now describe the operation thereof.

A. piece of stock S is first placed on the up by one of the flexible bands or straps 60. The ends of the stock extend within the hook-shaped portions 55 of the clamping blocks 52 and 53 and the `ends`of the strap 60 are received within Vthe pockets 56 in said portions. The adjustable langedmembers 34 and 44 have previously been moved outwardly to operative position by-means of the cams 36 and 46.

As the gear 21 is revolved in the direction of the arrow A, Fig. 1, the racks 23 and 24 Vmove the plates 25 and 26 and the bending yheads 30 and 40 toward each other until 4they reach the position shown in Fig. 5. As

the heads move toward each other, thesegment gears 32 and 42 are rotated by their engagement withthe rack 49 at the rear of the machine and the bending heads are thus mitted by the half-length construction of Vcertain teeth 32a and 42It of the segment gears 32 and 42, which construction permits the leading end of each gear to overlap the corresponding portion of the other gear.

After the parts have reached the position shownin Fig. 5, a clamp 5S is placed over the end of the projecting portions 57 of the blocks 51 and 52 and the flanged members of the plates being per- 34 and 44 are then withdrawn, permitting easy removal of the clamping blocks 51 and 52 and the flexible strip 60 together with the Astock S. These parts are then placed in a drying chamber until the stock has been thoroughly dried in its bent position.-

Reference to Fig. 6 will show that theI clamping blocks 52-and 53 engage thestock 'S upon a small portion only ot' the inner surface, thereby permittting access of the dry air to this surface of the stock and greatly facilitating thevdrying operation. Such access may be further facilitated by f slightly shortening the radius of the flanges 5ft in their end portions, as indicated at 54a in Fig. 8.

It is customary to provide several hundred pairs of clamping blocks 51 and 52 and a corresponding number of straps 60 so that the operation of the machine may continue While the parts removed With the stock are in the drying chamber. V

Having thus described my invention it will be evident that changes and modifications can be made therein by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the claims and Ido not Wish to be'otherwise limited to the details herein disclosed, but What I claim is l. A Wood bending machine having in combination a pair of rotatable heads, each head having a bending flange there-on yextending around approximately one-third of a circumference, aclamping block for each head having a flanged portionl cooperating lwith said flange on the head, and means to secure said blocks together, said means permitting their removal as a unit from said machine.

2. A bending machine having in combination a pair of rotatable bending heads, flanges thereon each extending over approximately one third of a circumference and a pair of clamping blocks detachably mounted on said heads, and having flanges coperating With the flanges on said lheads and completing the surface desired for shaping the stock.

3.,A vvood bending machine having in combination a pair of bending heads, each y having a ange thereon extending around approximately one-third of a circumference, said flanges being radially movable, means to hold said flanges in operative position, aclamping block for each head having a flanged portion coperating With the flange on the head, and means to secure said blocks together.

t. A Wood bending machine having in combination semi-circular rotatable bending heads, flanged plates mounted for radial movement thereon, manually operable cams to force said plates outwardly to operative position, clamping blocks having coperating flanged portions, and means to secure said blocks to each other, said blocks being thereafter removable from the machine as a unit with the stock.

5. In a Wood bending machine, the combination of a pair of bending heads each blocks beingthereafter removable from said heads as a unit.

6. In a Wood bending machine, the combination of a pair of bending heads each having a stud eccentrically mounted thereon, clamping blocks detachably mounted on said studs, said studs being of different lengths and supporting said blocks at different elevations, and .means to secure said blocks together after the bending operation, said blocks being thereafter removable from said heads as a unit.

7. In a wood bending machine, the combination of a pair of bending heads, clamping blocks detachably mounted thereon, said blocks being flanged and having offset overlapping portions, and means to clamp said portions together, thereby forming a struc ture removable as a unit from said heads.

8. A bending machine having in combination a pair of clamping blocks, each having a limited flanged surface, means to give said blocks a combined angular and longitudinal. movement, a flexible metallic strap secured to said blocks outside of the stock to be bent, and means to clamp `said flanges on said heads extending partially `around the curved periphery of each head, a clamping block for each head having a flanged portion completing the curved periphery of its head, and means to secure said blocks together.

10. A Wood bending machine having, in combination, a pair of rotatable heads, each head having a segmental flange portion, a pair of detachable clamping blocks mounted to move angularly and longitudinally with said heads, said blocks also each having a segmental flange portion, the combined length of the segmental flange portions of said heads and blocks being at least suflicient to substantially equal a complete circumference, and means to secure said blocks together, said means permitting the removal of said blocks as a unit from said machine.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

CHARLES A. BARNARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for 4ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Ratuta, Washington, D. C. 

